THE INVISIBLE SUPPLY OF

RELIABLE POWER
POWER CABLES
MV, HV & EHV
NIGEL HAMPTON

LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

CONTENTS

DEFINITIONS
CABLES IN POWER TRANSMISSION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
KEY TECHNICAL ISSUES
LOSSES, TEMPERATURE OF OPERATION, PARTIAL DISCHARGES

RELIABILITY
HOW DO WE MEASURE IT
WHAT REDUCES IT

EFFECT OF WATER TREES ON MV RELIABILITY

EFFECT OF CONTAMINANTS ON SIZE OF HV CABLES
CONCLUSIONS

LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

DEFINITIONS
MEDIUM VOLTAGE
6 - 36kV

MV

HIGH VOLTAGE
36 - 161kV

HV

EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE

>161kV

EHV

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45
40

EUROPE - ALL VOLTAGES

35
30
25
20
15
19
59
19
64
19
69
19
74
19
79
19
84
19
89
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99

AMMOUNT OF ENERGY
TRANSMISSION UNDERGROUND
(%)

CABLE USAGE INCREASES

SOURCE: ICF
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FAULT STATISTICS - NORDEL 1990 - 1999

2000

CABLES
OVERHEAD

1500

OTHER

1000

STATION
EQUIPMENT
LINE FAULTS

CABLE FAULTS
<0.8% OF LINE FAULTS

500

DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN

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ENGERGY LOSS STATISTICS - NORDEL 1990 TO 1999

6%

3%

47%

44%

OVERHEAD
STATION EQUIPMENT
OTHER
CABLE
DENMARK
FINLAND
ICELAND
NORWAY
SWEDEN

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IF CABLES ARE SO GOOD WHY ARE THERE SO

FEW?
COST CABLES HAVE HIGHER CAPITAL COST
CAPITAL
LIFETIME COST

OHL = 1
OHL = 1

CABLES = 3 10
CABLES = 0.9 4

CURRENT RATING CABLES HARDER TO COOL THAN OVERHEAD LINES,

THUS MORE CONDUCTOR REQUIRED FOR THE SAME CURRENT APPROX
2 CABLES= 1 OHERHEAD LINE
AVAILABILITY FAULT RATE & REPAIR TIME
CABLE SYSTEM
OHL SYSTEM

FAULT RATE
#/YR/100KM
0,1
15

REPAIR TIME
DAYS
7
0,01 - 0,1

AVAILABILITY
DAYS/YR/100KM
0,7
0,15 - 1,5

LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

CABLE VOLTAGE (kV)

POWER CABLE DEVELOPMENT

550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

FIRST CABLE
USED TO BLOW
UP A FORTRESS
DC CABLES INSULATED
IN RUSSIA
WITH STRING

1800

RUBBER CABLES
FIRST
OVERHEAD
LINE
PAPER

1820

1840

1860

1880

1900

1920

1940

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LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

CABLE VOLTAGE (kV)

POWER CABLE DEVELOPMENT

FIRST SCREENED CABLE HOCHSTADTER
550
PRESSURISED
500
FERRANTI PAPER CABLES
450
400
10kV
350
TUBULAR
300
CABLE
250
WITH
200
PAPER
150
100
50
0
1880

1900

1920

1940

FIRST USE OF PVC IN GERMANY

WIDESPREAD COMMERCIAL
USE OF PVC

PAPER
POLYTEN
PEX

1960

1980

2000

2020

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HIGHEST VOLTAGE IN
HYDRO PLANTS
PAPER - GRAND COULEE
XLPE - DACHAOSHAN

CABLE VOLTAGE (kV)

POWER CABLE DEVELOPMENT

550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

EUROPEAN
EHV GRID

1940

PAPER
EHV IN
EUROPE
EHV IN JAPAN

PE & XLPE
WONDER
MATERIAL

WTR - US
COPOLYMER - EUROPE

POLYTEN
PEX
1950

WATER TREES - MV
CONTAMINANTS - HV
1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

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LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

3 CORE
SUBSEA
CABLE

ARMOUR

FILLERS
NO METAL SHEATH
SO IT IS CALLED
A WET TYPE

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ALUMINIUM CONDUCTOR

COPPER WIRES TO CARRY

LOSS AND FAULT CURRENT

ALUMINIUM FOIL TO
KEEP OUT MOISTURE

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CAPACITANCE

C = 2 r / ln (R/r)

units - Farads/m F/m

= 8,854 E 12
F/m
r = relative permittivity
6-7
3,5
2,3

PVC
EPR
XLPE
LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

DIELECTRIC LOSSES

W = C U2 TAN
x

units - Watts/m W/m

0,08
0,004
0,0003
0,003

PVC
EPR
XLPE
PAPER

LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

LOSSES 1

1000SQMM CABLE

LOSS (W/m)

25000
EPR
PAPER
XLPE
HIGH LOSS XLPE

20000
15000
10000
5000
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

AVERAGE STRESS (kV/mm)

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LOSSES 2
MAX
INSULATION
TEMPERATURE

TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

MAX
GROUND
TEMPERATURE
CABLE
SURFACE

BEDDING

SOIL
OR
AIR
CONDUCTOR INSULATION

METAL SHEATH

ARMOUR

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LOSSES 3

= (2R + W)
CONDUCTOR
R = CONDUCTOR RESISTANCE

DIELECTRIC

R = R/ ( 1 + S + R)
R/ = R20 (1 + (20))

W = DIELECTRIC LOSS

W = C U2 TAN

T = THERMAL RESISTANCE

T = (/2) LN (1 - (R-r)/r)
= THERMAL RESISTIVITY

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RATINGS LIMIT
THE LENGTH OF CABLES

LOSSES 6
3,0E+08
2,5E+08

DIELECTRIC
10kV/mm

TOTAL

2,0E+08
1,5E+08
1,0E+08

TOTAL

5,0E+07

150

140

130

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0,0E+00

120

DIELECTRIC
5kV/mm

LOSSES (W)

DC NEEDED FOR LONG LENGTHS

CIRCUIT RATING

LENGTH (km)
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RELIABILITY

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IMPULSE
GENERATOR

HIGH VOLTAGE
AC TEST SET

TEST
TERMINATIONS

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BREAKDOWN - 400kV 1600mm2 25mm XLPE JICABLE 1995 A1.4

AC
710
805
860
655
710
710

IMPULSE
1575
1675
1725
1850
1900

GENERAL FORM OF ANALYSIS IS WEIBULL ANALYSIS

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WEIBULL DISTRIBUTION

(E E loc )
Pfailure = 1 exp

EC

WHERE:
PFAILURE - CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY OF FAILURE
E
- APPLIED ELECTRICAL STRESS
ELOC
- OPTIONAL LOCATION PARAMETER;
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE THRESHOLD STRESS
EC
- SCALE PARAMETER; THE STRESS WHICH
GIVES A PROBABILITY OF FAILURE OF 63%

- SHAPE PARAMETER; THE GRADIENT OF THE

WEIBULL CURVE

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AC

TAT @ 2Uo
463kV
0,26% CHANCE
OF FAILING

IMPULSE

TAT
1425kV
1,6% CHANCE
OF FAILING

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PROBABILITY OF FAILURE

ENDURANCE TESTS

0,99

50kV/mm
33kV/mm

0,66

0,33

MODEL
TRANSMISSION
CABLES

0
0,1

10
100
1000
10000 100000
TIME TO FAILURE (HOURS)
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100
FAIL ON TEST
NO FAIL ON TEST

80
60
40

1,E+06

1,E+05

1,E+04

1,E+03

1,E+02

1,E+01

1,E+00

1,E-01

20
1,E-02

MEAN ELECTRICAL STRESS

(kV/mm)

ENDURANCE CURVE - COLD - MODEL TRANSMISSION CABLES

TIME (HOURS)
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CABLE VOLTAGE (kV)

RELIABILITY - WATER TREES

500
400
300
200
100
0
1950

PE & XLPE
WONDER
MATERIAL
1960

WATER TREES - MV
CONTAMINANTS - HV
1970

1980

1990

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INVESTMENTS IN CABLE QUALITY

BRING HIGHER RELIABILITY

STEAM CURE
GRAPHITE SCREEN
PVC SHEATH

STRIPPABLE
SCREENS

NO STEAM CURE

4
PE SHEATH - NO PVC
AL FOIL

00

20

98

19

96

19

94

19

92

19

90

19

88

19

86

19

84

19

82

19

80

19

78

19

76

19

74

19

72

19

70

0
19

CABLE FAILURE RATE

(# / 100km / YEAR)

XLPE CABLE FAILURE RATE

YEAR OF MANUFACTURE
12 & 24kV CABLES, SINTEF, NORWAY
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ASTM D 6097 Ashcraft Test

Largest Vented Trees After 30 Days at Room
Temperature
CLASSIC

0.750 mm STREAMER TREE

ENHANCED

0.300 mm CONSTRAINED TREE

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WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM?

HIGH LOCAL FIELDS TREES GROW FASTER CONTAMINANTS

WATER
IN APPROPRIATE MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TRANSIENTS

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED??

ACCELERATED TESTING
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE ACCELERATE THE RIGHT MECHANISM?

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BREAKDOWN STRENGTH (Uo)

USEFULNESS OF 2 YEAR CENELEC TEST

35

MEURER ET AL, JICABLE03

30

FAREMO ET AL, JICABLE 03

25
20
15
10
5
0
NEW

1 YEAR

2 YEAR

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21
19

Breakdown [U/Uo]
Monthly average
Year average

17
15
13
11
9
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Production year of the cables
Results of the cable production monitoring in Germany according to DIN-VDE 0276-620
F. MERSCHEL, Kabel seminar, Hannover 2002, updated presentation
LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

SMALLER SIZE (HIGHER STRESS) BUT SAME

RELIABILITY - CONTAMINANTS
SIZE > CAPITAL & INSTALLATION COST
SIZE > 1/TEMP > 1/RATING > OPERATING COST
SIZE > 1/HANDLABILITY > INSTALLATION COST

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THICKNESSES OF TRANSMISSION CABLES

THICKNESS (mm)

25
20
15
10

66
132
154

5
0
1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

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ELECTRIC FLUX / ELECTRIC FIELD ENHANCEMENTS

SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND
DISCONTINUITIES IN THE INSULATION
AFFECT WHERE THE ELECTRIC FLUX LINES GO
IN SOME AREAS THEY ARE CLOSER IN SOME
THEY GET FURTHER APART
THE AVERAGE DENSITY IS ALWAYS THE SAME
WHEN THE ELECTRIC FIELD GOES UP
IN ONE AREA IT MUST GO DOWN IN ANOTHER

WHY WORRY ABOUT THIS IF IT GOES UP IN

ONE AREA BUT IS COMPENSATED IN ANOTHER?
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PARTICLES INSIDE CABLE INSULATION

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BREAKDOWNS INSIDE CABLES

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BREAKDOWN STRENGTH vs SIZE OF CONTAMINANTS

Cable breakdown strength 63% probability [kV/mm]
300
250

IMPULSE

200
150
AC
100
50
0

20

40
60
Contaminant size (microns)

80

100

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CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATION & CABLE BREAKDOWN

Probability
ofof
Failure
Probability
failure(%)
CDF%

90
W/rr

70
63,3
50
30
20

IMP 5

AC 5

10
5

IMP 25

2
1

AC 25
10

100
Breakdown stress kV/mm

1000
MODEL CABLE DATA

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STRESS ENHANCEMENT - SHAPE & PERMITTIVITY

20

Field increase factor [n]

R
16

2a

R/a=0.01

12
R/a=0.1

R/a=1

4
0

1
Feature permittivity

100

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Size Affects Electrical Requirement

8
7
Average stress

6
5
4

Volume

3
Requirement

2
1
0
12

14

16

Wall thickness

18

20

22

Reference case - 2000mm2 150kV

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MORE INFORMATION
ADVANCED POWER CABLE TECHNOLOGY, TANAKA & GREENWOOD
ELECTRICAL DEGRADATION & BREAKDOWN IN POLYMERS, DISSADO &
FOTHERGILL
ELECTRIC CABLES HANDBOOK (3RD EDITION)
IEEE Guide for the Statistical Analysis of Electrical Insulation Voltage Endurance
Data, ANSI / IEEE std 930 - 1987.
The New Weibull Handbook (1996), Abernethy RB, ISBN 0-9653062-0-8.

LECTURES ON HIGH VOLTAGE TECHNOLOGY CHALMERS 2004

ANY QUESTIONS?

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